“Good God.”
Carter doubled over laughing as Mark came into the gazebo as well.
“What are you two laughing about?” he asked as Carter handed him a glass.
“Kate.” Carter snickered.
Grant could see Mark turn slightly red in the dark.
“Mark used to…” Carter gasped out between laughs.
“Don’t you dare tell him that!” Mark warned.
“Is that an order, Captain?” Carter said mockingly.
“Maybe,” Mark replied, eyes narrowed.
Carter ignored him. “We were too old to be babysat by Kate. Mark was, at any rate. He wasobsessedwith her. He had a little scrapbook with her pictures and random trash she would throw away.”
“Shut up, Carter,” Mark snarled.
“Mark and Kate kissing in a tree,” Carter teased, hopping away from his brother’s drunken swipes.
Grant threw his glass, and it shattered against the stone wall. “Don’t you dare touch her!She’s mine,” he said to his cousin, circling him as Mark tried to maneuver away from him.
“It’s all good, cuz,” Carter said. “We were just playing. Chill. Besides, Mark is too much of a Goody Two-shoes. He doesn’t have the balls to go after Kate. She’d cut him up and shove him down the garbage disposal.”
Grant tried to relax. He picked up the bottle of whiskey and took a swig.
“So…” Carter said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“So what?” Grant asked, looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
“When’s the wedding?”
“Tomorrow?” Grant was confused by the question.
“Between you and Kate, dummy. You’ve clearly got a thing for her.” Carter gestured to the broken glass around them.
Grant looked down bitterly. “She doesn’t seem to like me. I think I moved too fast.”
“You… fraternized with Kate?” Mark looked at him, wide-eyed.
“That’s my man!” Carter hooted, boxing Grant’s bicep playfully.
“I probably should have wined and dined her first,” Grant said sheepishly.
“This is the twenty-first century,” Carter replied. “Women want to test-drive the car before they write the check.”
Mark looked aghast. “That is a horrible attitude to have, Carter. You need to make a grand gesture, Grant.”
“I do?”
“Yes. Give her a speech about how she saved you and made you want to be a better man.”
“Will that work? I mean, she clearly likes me. At least, I think she does. She’s afraid to lose her job with my father.”
“Uncle Walter won’t care,” Carter scoffed. “There must be some other reason.”
